Thank you for the detailed video. In Canada we also call them Tea Towels, and my local fibre shop carries Maurice Brassard, made in my neighbouring province of Quebec!
I am glad to see this video from you. So many new weavers are at a loss when it comes to the different fibers. I make bath towels and larger bathsheets using 3/2 Americam Maid cotton yarn for the warp and boucle for the weft. They are extremely absorbent. I have made 5 of the bathsheets so far for family. They have become their favorites and have asked me for more of them. I have made a lot of dish towels with the 8/2 cottolin and I find that is the best for absorbency. My next project will be an 8 shaft pinwheel using 3/2 perle cotton. The pattern is from Tom Knisely's book "Handwoven Table Linens".
Love the sugar and cream yarns, first project ever on our homemade rigid heddle loom was using this and made some great little towels that are super absorbent. Thank you for posting this, now its time to expand into different yarns :)
That was so helpful, seeing the different projects with the different yarns. I had seen them on photos before, but then you don’t see how stiff or supple they are, nor how shiny or not. Also lovely to see “much used & loved” items, and see how they hold up with wear & wash. Thank you!
Thank you so much! This is such useful information... my first weaving project for actual use was log cabin kitchen towels, and we're still using them in the kitchen. They just feel so lovely and work so well, and it feels so good to see them used. Your patterns are gorgeous, I'm just in love with how much you can do with a rigid heddle. A lot of my friends sneered at me when I got my RH, saying all I could do was tabby and how boring, but it's just amazing all the things we can do with a RH loom!
I just got my first rigid heddle loom, a 16 in Harp forte, and I’m looking forward to all the projects I will create. Will probably get a different type of loom in a couple of years. I hear some people are yarn snobs and fiber snobs so I guess there are loom snobs too 😂. They miss out on all the thinking outside the box ideas. Happy weaving 😊
So helpful ❤ just got my first rigid heddle loom and I was wondering what kind of yarn to use for projects. I bought some cheep cotton yarn to practice with and I did notice a bit of fluff but it looks neet so I’m happy. I’m inspired 😻 Going to make some dish towels and stuff for presents, look out family 🤣
Thank you for this. I’ll be attempting my first towel soon on my backstrap loom using a rigid heddle for a small Ashford loom. I’m experimenting with the setup now, and I think it will work.
Thanks very much for your answer. I have found your videos to be the most clearly explained and lots of information that i never even thought to ask since i am new to ridgid heddle weaving
Thank you, complete and comprehensive video! I got dizzy from that blue white houndstooth moving close to the camera though. Slowly zooming/moving stills are much better for this.
Thank you so much! I own a yarn shop in Canada, and I'm slowly expanding my weaving supplies. I started with a rigid heddle because it worked well enough with the yarn I already have in stock. I'm looking at bringing in some weaving yarns this spring, and I had no idea where to start! I'm already an Ashford Dealer, but I might have to look into Brassard instead (for now). And I'll try not to glare too many daggers at anyone fluffing the yarn strand!
8/4 is great for placemats, my one recommendation would be to use a closer, rather than a looser sett. If you need any help with specifics, just let me know 😉
Thank you again for a very informative and inspirational podcast. I look forward to using my Sugar and Cream yarn to weave as it is rough on my wrists for knitting! Thank you for sharing your sources for fiber as well!
Hi Kelly, Thanks so much for explaining the different yarn weights and what they can be used for so clearly. I'm really looking forward to the Diamond Stripe Towel project starting next week and have my 8/2 yarn ready and waiting! I noticed one of your samples in the video had what appeared to be a herringbone weave. Where can I find out more information about trying that on a rigid heddle loom, please?
That one was woven on my floor loom. Herringbone is a 4 shaft pattern though, so it can be woven on a rigid heddle loom by making additional shafts - either with extra heddles, pick up sticks or heddle rods.
Thank you for this very useful information. Another video with information about yarns such as bamboo or tencel would be useful. Do you use 16/2 for anything, other than the weft for overshot? If I double 16/2 will this be like using 8/2? I acquired some Maurice Brassard 16/2 at one of our charity shops very cheaply, but don't really know what to do with it!
you can get hobbii yarns in Australia. I have had a fair few of their yarns delivered and i live in Victoria. I've been getting a lot of their cotton cakes for learning to weave with.
Thank you for the wonderful information and for making it accessible for beginners. As a new weaver, it would be helpful if you recommended which heddle you use on RH loom for each yarn.
Hi Kelly - thanks so much for this - just what I needed. I'm in the UK atm and had been really struggling to understand yarns & find good equivalents here. Wonderful info here. Just about to pop to your Amazon shop ... Etsy too :)
Thank you! I'm really surprised that there isn't more suitable yarn available in the UK, and from what I've heard, the weaving yarns that you can get are very expensive. Such a shame from a region with a rich weaving history. I guess a lot of the historical mills produced their own yarn, from their own sheep though. That may explain the lack of availability of commercial weaving yarns? I'm just hypothesising though 🤔
I have just starting on weaving tea towels on my RH loom. I have done one as a prototype to get the feel of it and to work out shrinkage, loom waste etc. It includes lots of mistakes (missed warp threads) but overall I am reasonably happy with this first effort. One question - do you do a hemstitch before taking off the loom or just zigzag on the sewing machine after removing? I really enjoyed this video on which yarn for tea towels.
Hi Judy, I don't hemstitch towels on the loom, I'm lucky enough to have a serger, so I serge the edges off the loom, then wet finish, then machine hem.
This is fantastically helpful for a beginner to weaving. Question about the 8/2 cotton for tea towels, on a floorloom would you weave them as a single strand per heddle or double stranded? All the patterns I've seemed to have found for floor looms is double stranding the 8/2 cotton and I'm a bit confused as to how this would differ from just using a single strand of 8/4 cotton. thanks
For a floor loom you just thread one thread for each heddle. Then when it comes to sleying the reed you can place as many threads in the reed as you need to obtain your chosen epi.
What projects do you prefer to do on a rigid heddle loom and what projects do you prefer to do on a table loom? I'm thinking about a table loom, I have the 24" rigid heddle. Thank you.
That's a good question, I don't know that anyone has asked me that before! It's purely personal preference, but I like the rigid heddle loom for scarves, shawls etc, especially for wool that has some elasticity and for thicker threads. I prefer the table loom for using finer threads and more rigid threads like cotton, as I can get better tension. And I will always opt for a multi shaft loom when I want to weave something like twill, overshot, etc that needs more shafts because it's more straightforward than setting up extra shafts on a RH.
Thank you. I've been doing towels on my rigid heddle but warping 8/2 cotton is a problem for me. So I warp with Suger and Cream and use 8/2 for the weft. I'm going to be saving up for that table top loom 😊.
I haven't done it myself, I have to admit that I like thick lofty bath towels and I don't think I would be able to weave something that I would like enough. Others are different though.
The sugar and cream that you showed your video. There are different sizes of sugar and cream. What is the millimetre crochet hook used for the one that you show in this video that would be extremely helpful so that I could buy another brand that would be the same size.
I was under the impression that all Sugar n Cream yarn is the same size, but perhaps I'm wrong. Anyway, the one I have in the video is known as a size 4 in the US, crochet hook size H/8 hook (from a Sugar n Cream sales page). Hope that helps!
hello, we don't have a rigid loom but would like to loom some of the towels and such, does it matter whether you weave it on a rigid loom or a floor loom . We also have a Strucco table loom, it was make in the sevenities. thank you for your time, Marv and Kathy
It does matter because the set ups are different. You can take a 4 shaft draft and weave it on either a rigid heddle or a table/floor loom but you need to know how to set each of the looms up to do that.
I have to admit that I don't own or know much about yoga mats so I'm not much help, other than to say you would want cotton for washability and hard wearing.
I love this information! Hand/tea towels are my favorite to weave thus far too. Do you have the pattern for the band you showed? I didn't see it in the project list above and we've been trying out inkle/band weaving as of late too. Thanks again for the great video!
Also, very helpful mentioning the weight of the yarns, such as Sugar'n Cream, because that's not something I can find in Europe - instead we have a bunch of knitting (and crochet) cotton in fingering and DK weight both mercerised and natural available in the grocery stores (Novita) as well as warp cotton in 6, 9, 12, and 18 plies. Is there a good use as weft for these unmercerised warp cotton yarns? They're not particularly soft, nor are they fine in that sense.
Warp cottons do vary, some of them are soft enough for towels and others are just really tough and basically for rug or tapestry warping. You may want to purchase some to sample with? They may change and soften up after wet finishing. Or at the very least you will find out whether they are worth weaving with or not - sometimes you don't really know until you try.
Great info, much appreciated. Any suggestions on cottons to weave for wash/face cloths? As a quilter also, your blanket has me wanting to make one! It looks so cozy soft.I used my rigid heddle loom to make a pillow cover for a friend. It turned out decent and looks good after a year of use. I have made table runners and kitchen towels. Also, I have a couple of wool shawls and scarfs. I keep looking at all my yarn….wool and cotton, but no projects are underway currently.
For wash cloths, I would use a thick cotton, aran weight and consider doing loop pile. Syne Mitchell has a tutorial if you're interested- www.weavezine.com/content/pile-loop-wash-cloths.html
Crochet cotton. Usually thin, hard, and mercerised, but readily available everywhere. Does it have any use in weaving at all? I was also looking at the pictures of the 8/2 (or was it 10/2??) Japanese pieces you showed, and that apron is something I want to sew. I never even thought (d'uh) the fabric could be hand woven. Is the apron part of the course? How wide fabric was used, and do you have a pattern, or do you know where I could get one - apart from making my own pattern? If the picture is not of a Japanese apron or is not hand made, I apologize.
A lot of weavers do use crochet cotton for weaving and love it. I tend not to because it's fairly expensive here, for what you get. I did try some Perle cotton for an inkle band recently and it was beautiful. Yes, the picture is of an apron and it is part of the course 😊
I cannot seem to find the links you mentioned, which I assume should show below the video. What am I doing wrong? BTW, I loved the video. You are always so easy to understand.......except I could not hear the name of the scarf you were wearing. It sounded like "Power Pooling, or something like that. Could you clarify please? Probably my computer speakers! Looking forward to the Diamond Stripe Weave along.🤩
Thank you - I found this very informative! I was able to purchase a quantity at a very reasonable price of 3/2 cotton. Not sure if this corresponds to any of the thicker yarns you mentioned. If you have the opportunity, I'd love to hear your take on this yarn and what it's uses can be.
I haven't actually used 3/2 cotton, but from what I've read it seems like a lovely option for softer cotton projects. It seems a similar size to 8/4 cotton but with a different number of plies (2ply instead of 4) - meaning how many strands of the yarn are plied together to make the yarn. I'm not sure how it would be for kitchen towels, it may depend on the brand as to how they would work out. Is your 3/2 mercerised or unmercerised?
Hi, Mary Ann. I too have 3/2 cotton and made a simple towel with it, but it didn't seem to be absorbent enough compared to store bought towels. I don't know why it is not absorbent as it is organic unmercerized cotton.
Thank you so much. It is wonderful to have someone with such knowledge when you have just started out on the weaving journey. When you use these cottons what size heddles do you use and do you double warp the 8/2 cotton or indeed the rest?
That is a bit of a loaded question, because it just depends on what I'm weaving, the weave structure, the intended use of the project etc. If I'm weaving kitchen towels though, I like to double 8/2 cotton using a 12.5 dent heddle 😉
No, I don't use a dryer, I dry them on the clothesline. I don't iron them either! (Confessions of a lazy homemaker here! 😆) Cottolin is great for not needing ironing after washing.
I am so interested in your weave a long project! But I don’t know if I can be ready in time. Will you begin with warping the loom or do you assume students in this class already have knowledge of how to do that on their own? My loom is not rigid heddle. It is a Leclerc Dorothy which I purchased from an individual and have not had any instruction on how to use. Do you have suggestions on how I might get started if I want to be ready to begin with your weave along? Can I buy 8/2 cotton at a Michaels or Joannes?
The weave along is specifically for the rigid heddle loom, so you may find that you want to get to know your Dorothy a bit better first. I do have table loom course, if you're interested in that - it would be more relevant to you at this point in getting to know your loom- kelly-casanova-weaving-lessons.teachable.com/p/table-loom/?preview=logged_out
I'm currently weaving a towel at 8/2 too and the yarn just looks thicker to me. I'm using 7.5 dent header, so the sett is automatically wider. Should I use a 10 dent and still 8/2? Because it's definitely not the tightly woven thinner yarn type towels.
8/2 usually needs to be woven at 20 epi or higher for towels. 20-25 is usually ideal. That would mean using a 10 or 12-12.5 dent heddle with doubled 8/2.
@@suzannejolin252 The company is Maurice Brassard. You can purchase their yarns either directly from Canada, or they have a lot of stockists in the US.
Wool absorbs approximately 30% of its weight. It's very absorbent. That doesn't mean it is the best fiber for towels, but it's not the reason we don't weave it to make them.
@@KellyCasanova thank you for the answer. I am impressed that you can get the sheets, towels, etc, dry without a dryer! I don't put most of my garments in the dryer as the dryer does a lot of damage. I use drying racks for garments.
Thank you for the video. I’m interested in your weave along session and trying to get the important supply. I ordered your instructions on Etsy, also two 12,5 reeds, but still looking for a good yarn source.. My local shop has cottotin in 8/2 or cotton in 8/4. Can I use 12,5 reeds for 8/4 ? Thank you
With 8/4 cotton waffle weave after washing the towel is so wrinkled. I can iron it but I won’t want to iron them every time nor would I give them away. What happened?
Question. As a new weaver with a heddle loom, I foolishly broke the bank buying 16/2 mercerized cotton in many colors. I thought I would make dish towels with it but it seems a bit challenging at such a fine thread. Any advice on what to do with all of this thread/yarn? It's quite discouragingly for my skill level.
I like to weave tea towels with 8/2 cotton at 20-25 ends per inch. If you're using a rigid heddle, you could double your yarn in either a 10 or 12-12.5 dent heddle.
Thank you for the detailed video. In Canada we also call them Tea Towels, and my local fibre shop carries Maurice Brassard, made in my neighbouring province of Quebec!
Great information, Kelly. Seeing what you’ve used the yarns for is so useful.
Thanks Lynne!
I am glad to see this video from you. So many new weavers are at a loss when it comes to the different fibers.
I make bath towels and larger bathsheets using 3/2 Americam Maid cotton yarn for the warp and boucle for the weft. They are extremely absorbent. I have made 5 of the bathsheets so far for family. They have become their favorites and have asked me for more of them.
I have made a lot of dish towels with the 8/2 cottolin and I find that is the best for absorbency.
My next project will be an 8 shaft pinwheel using 3/2 perle cotton. The pattern is from Tom Knisely's book "Handwoven Table Linens".
Fabulous, thanks for sharing your bath sheet towel details!
Love the sugar and cream yarns, first project ever on our homemade rigid heddle loom was using this and made some great little towels that are super absorbent. Thank you for posting this, now its time to expand into different yarns :)
That was so helpful, seeing the different projects with the different yarns. I had seen them on photos before, but then you don’t see how stiff or supple they are, nor how shiny or not. Also lovely to see “much used & loved” items, and see how they hold up with wear & wash. Thank you!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching 😊
Thank you so much! This is such useful information... my first weaving project for actual use was log cabin kitchen towels, and we're still using them in the kitchen. They just feel so lovely and work so well, and it feels so good to see them used. Your patterns are gorgeous, I'm just in love with how much you can do with a rigid heddle. A lot of my friends sneered at me when I got my RH, saying all I could do was tabby and how boring, but it's just amazing all the things we can do with a RH loom!
Yes, RH looms are wonderful! ❤️
I just got my first rigid heddle loom, a 16 in Harp forte, and I’m looking forward to all the projects I will create. Will probably get a different type of loom in a couple of years. I hear some people are yarn snobs and fiber snobs so I guess there are loom snobs too 😂. They miss out on all the thinking outside the box ideas. Happy weaving 😊
Thank you for explaining the different cottons so well.
You're welcome Glenda!
So helpful ❤ just got my first rigid heddle loom and I was wondering what kind of yarn to use for projects. I bought some cheep cotton yarn to practice with and I did notice a bit of fluff but it looks neet so I’m happy. I’m inspired 😻 Going to make some dish towels and stuff for presents, look out family 🤣
It sounds like you're off to a great start! 😊
Thank you for this. I’ll be attempting my first towel soon on my backstrap loom using a rigid heddle for a small Ashford loom. I’m experimenting with the setup now, and I think it will work.
All the best with it! 😀
Thank you Kelly, this is just what I needed to know.
Great, glad it was good timing for you 😉
Thanks very much for your answer. I have found your videos to be the most clearly explained and lots of information that i never even thought to ask since i am new to ridgid heddle weaving
Thank you Kelly, so very useful and informative (as always), I'm ready to weave tea towels when my loom is free next.
Wonderful!
Thank you, complete and comprehensive video!
I got dizzy from that blue white houndstooth moving close to the camera though. Slowly zooming/moving stills are much better for this.
Thanks for the feedback, I forget how some of those patterns can jump out at you!
Thanks!
Thank you!
Fantastic information. Thankyou so much.
Thanks!
Great information, can’t wait to start some lessons.
😀❤️
Thank you for this great video. I use 8/2 cotton a lot and this is very helpful! I love the bonus of not needing to sley the reed as a second step!
Glad you enjoyed it Suzie!
Such great information! Thanks.
You're welcome, I'm glad it was helpful to you 😊
great topic, thanks for sharing it 👍
Thanks for watching!
Thank you!!! Such great information!! I learn so much from you!!!
Thank you 😊
Awesome job thanks for doing these 🙏🧶😘
Thank you Terry! ❤️
Thank you so much! I own a yarn shop in Canada, and I'm slowly expanding my weaving supplies. I started with a rigid heddle because it worked well enough with the yarn I already have in stock. I'm looking at bringing in some weaving yarns this spring, and I had no idea where to start! I'm already an Ashford Dealer, but I might have to look into Brassard instead (for now).
And I'll try not to glare too many daggers at anyone fluffing the yarn strand!
Oh great, I'm glad it's helpful to you. All the best with your shop - we need more yarn shops in the world! 😀
Thank you! This was super helpful.
Awesome, thank you!
This is on my radar to try next! I don't have any 8/2 yarns at present so maybe I'll make some placements from my stash of 8/4 Maysville.
8/4 is great for placemats, my one recommendation would be to use a closer, rather than a looser sett. If you need any help with specifics, just let me know 😉
Thank you again for a very informative and inspirational podcast. I look forward to using my Sugar and Cream yarn to weave as it is rough on my wrists for knitting! Thank you for sharing your sources for fiber as well!
Thanks so much Kelly!
You are so welcome!
Really useful video Kelly, thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Very helpful. Thank you!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Kelly, Thanks so much for explaining the different yarn weights and what they can be used for so clearly. I'm really looking forward to the Diamond Stripe Towel project starting next week and have my 8/2 yarn ready and waiting!
I noticed one of your samples in the video had what appeared to be a herringbone weave. Where can I find out more information about trying that on a rigid heddle loom, please?
That one was woven on my floor loom. Herringbone is a 4 shaft pattern though, so it can be woven on a rigid heddle loom by making additional shafts - either with extra heddles, pick up sticks or heddle rods.
Andrew I also eyed the herringbone ... I've been looking too. RH here too.
Thank you for this very useful information. Another video with information about yarns such as bamboo or tencel would be useful.
Do you use 16/2 for anything, other than the weft for overshot? If I double 16/2 will this be like using 8/2? I acquired some Maurice Brassard 16/2 at one of our charity shops very cheaply, but don't really know what to do with it!
you can get hobbii yarns in Australia. I have had a fair few of their yarns delivered and i live in Victoria. I've been getting a lot of their cotton cakes for learning to weave with.
Can you share the supplier? 😊
this is so helpful ohmygosh
Thank you for the wonderful information and for making it accessible for beginners. As a new weaver, it would be helpful if you recommended which heddle you use on RH loom for each yarn.
Thanks for your feedback Dianna 😊
Hi Kelly - thanks so much for this - just what I needed. I'm in the UK atm and had been really struggling to understand yarns & find good equivalents here. Wonderful info here. Just about to pop to your Amazon shop ... Etsy too :)
Thank you! I'm really surprised that there isn't more suitable yarn available in the UK, and from what I've heard, the weaving yarns that you can get are very expensive. Such a shame from a region with a rich weaving history. I guess a lot of the historical mills produced their own yarn, from their own sheep though. That may explain the lack of availability of commercial weaving yarns? I'm just hypothesising though 🤔
I have just starting on weaving tea towels on my RH loom. I have done one as a prototype to get the feel of it and to work out shrinkage, loom waste etc. It includes lots of mistakes (missed warp threads) but overall I am reasonably happy with this first effort. One question - do you do a hemstitch before taking off the loom or just zigzag on the sewing machine after removing?
I really enjoyed this video on which yarn for tea towels.
Hi Judy, I don't hemstitch towels on the loom, I'm lucky enough to have a serger, so I serge the edges off the loom, then wet finish, then machine hem.
This is fantastically helpful for a beginner to weaving. Question about the 8/2 cotton for tea towels, on a floorloom would you weave them as a single strand per heddle or double stranded? All the patterns I've seemed to have found for floor looms is double stranding the 8/2 cotton and I'm a bit confused as to how this would differ from just using a single strand of 8/4 cotton. thanks
For a floor loom you just thread one thread for each heddle. Then when it comes to sleying the reed you can place as many threads in the reed as you need to obtain your chosen epi.
What projects do you prefer to do on a rigid heddle loom and what projects do you prefer to do on a table loom? I'm thinking about a table loom, I have the 24" rigid heddle. Thank you.
That's a good question, I don't know that anyone has asked me that before! It's purely personal preference, but I like the rigid heddle loom for scarves, shawls etc, especially for wool that has some elasticity and for thicker threads. I prefer the table loom for using finer threads and more rigid threads like cotton, as I can get better tension. And I will always opt for a multi shaft loom when I want to weave something like twill, overshot, etc that needs more shafts because it's more straightforward than setting up extra shafts on a RH.
Thank you. I've been doing towels on my rigid heddle but warping 8/2 cotton is a problem for me. So I warp with Suger and Cream and use 8/2 for the weft. I'm going to be saving up for that table top loom 😊.
This is a great video. Do you ever make bathroom towels? For your body after a shower? I am curious, if you were to do it, what would you use?
I haven't done it myself, I have to admit that I like thick lofty bath towels and I don't think I would be able to weave something that I would like enough. Others are different though.
The sugar and cream that you showed your video. There are different sizes of sugar and cream. What is the millimetre crochet hook used for the one that you show in this video that would be extremely helpful so that I could buy another brand that would be the same size.
I was under the impression that all Sugar n Cream yarn is the same size, but perhaps I'm wrong. Anyway, the one I have in the video is known as a size 4 in the US, crochet hook size H/8 hook (from a Sugar n Cream sales page). Hope that helps!
hello, we don't have a rigid loom but would like to loom some of the towels and such, does it matter whether you weave it on a rigid loom or a floor loom . We also have a Strucco table loom, it was make in the sevenities. thank you for your time, Marv and Kathy
It does matter because the set ups are different. You can take a 4 shaft draft and weave it on either a rigid heddle or a table/floor loom but you need to know how to set each of the looms up to do that.
Thank you very interesting 🌻
You're welcome!
Thank you, very helpful.
You're welcome! 😊
What kind of yarn would I use to weave a yoga rug/mat?
I have to admit that I don't own or know much about yoga mats so I'm not much help, other than to say you would want cotton for washability and hard wearing.
I love this information! Hand/tea towels are my favorite to weave thus far too. Do you have the pattern for the band you showed? I didn't see it in the project list above and we've been trying out inkle/band weaving as of late too. Thanks again for the great video!
I designed the pattern for the band. I'm happy to email it to you if you just want to use it for personal use?
Also, very helpful mentioning the weight of the yarns, such as Sugar'n Cream, because that's not something I can find in Europe - instead we have a bunch of knitting (and crochet) cotton in fingering and DK weight both mercerised and natural available in the grocery stores (Novita) as well as warp cotton in 6, 9, 12, and 18 plies.
Is there a good use as weft for these unmercerised warp cotton yarns? They're not particularly soft, nor are they fine in that sense.
Warp cottons do vary, some of them are soft enough for towels and others are just really tough and basically for rug or tapestry warping. You may want to purchase some to sample with? They may change and soften up after wet finishing. Or at the very least you will find out whether they are worth weaving with or not - sometimes you don't really know until you try.
Great info, much appreciated. Any suggestions on cottons to weave for wash/face cloths? As a quilter also, your blanket has me wanting to make one! It looks so cozy soft.I used my rigid heddle loom to make a pillow cover for a friend. It turned out decent and looks good after a year of use. I have made table runners and kitchen towels. Also, I have a couple of wool shawls and scarfs. I keep looking at all my yarn….wool and cotton, but no projects are underway currently.
For wash cloths, I would use a thick cotton, aran weight and consider doing loop pile. Syne Mitchell has a tutorial if you're interested- www.weavezine.com/content/pile-loop-wash-cloths.html
Crochet cotton. Usually thin, hard, and mercerised, but readily available everywhere. Does it have any use in weaving at all?
I was also looking at the pictures of the 8/2 (or was it 10/2??) Japanese pieces you showed, and that apron is something I want to sew. I never even thought (d'uh) the fabric could be hand woven. Is the apron part of the course? How wide fabric was used, and do you have a pattern, or do you know where I could get one - apart from making my own pattern? If the picture is not of a Japanese apron or is not hand made, I apologize.
A lot of weavers do use crochet cotton for weaving and love it. I tend not to because it's fairly expensive here, for what you get. I did try some Perle cotton for an inkle band recently and it was beautiful.
Yes, the picture is of an apron and it is part of the course 😊
I'm curious about the loom you have over your right shoulder. Can you tell me what it is? It's beautiful!
It's an Ashford 8 shaft table loom 😊
Thanks for the overview Kelly. Great Stuff!! I would like to do some bath sheets also. Any suggestions?
I haven't done bath sheets myself - loop pile could be the way to go, or a huck lace structure - it depends on your loom and how many shafts you have.
I cannot seem to find the links you mentioned, which I assume should show below the video. What am I doing wrong? BTW, I loved the video. You are always so easy to understand.......except I could not hear the name of the scarf you were wearing. It sounded like "Power Pooling, or something like that. Could you clarify please? Probably my computer speakers! Looking forward to the Diamond Stripe Weave along.🤩
Charlotte, you might have to click on "show more" to see the links, it's quite a long list! The scarf is the "Colour Pooling" Scarf 😊
Thank you - I found this very informative! I was able to purchase a quantity at a very reasonable price of 3/2 cotton. Not sure if this corresponds to any of the thicker yarns you mentioned. If you have the opportunity, I'd love to hear your take on this yarn and what it's uses can be.
I haven't actually used 3/2 cotton, but from what I've read it seems like a lovely option for softer cotton projects. It seems a similar size to 8/4 cotton but with a different number of plies (2ply instead of 4) - meaning how many strands of the yarn are plied together to make the yarn. I'm not sure how it would be for kitchen towels, it may depend on the brand as to how they would work out. Is your 3/2 mercerised or unmercerised?
Hi, Mary Ann. I too have 3/2 cotton and made a simple towel with it, but it didn't seem to be absorbent enough compared to store bought towels. I don't know why it is not absorbent as it is organic unmercerized cotton.
@@audreyburman3023 has it been through the wash a few times? Hand woven towels usually take a few washes and uses before they start performing well 😊
Thank you so much. It is wonderful to have someone with such knowledge when you have just started out on the weaving journey. When you use these cottons what size heddles do you use and do you double warp the 8/2 cotton or indeed the rest?
That is a bit of a loaded question, because it just depends on what I'm weaving, the weave structure, the intended use of the project etc. If I'm weaving kitchen towels though, I like to double 8/2 cotton using a 12.5 dent heddle 😉
Excellent assortment. Do you use boucle 8/2 Maurice brassard for tea towels? Would love to see your samples and patterns with this. Aloha
Sorry Lisa, I haven't tried boucle. I'd like to though!
Love your videos! Is there any yarn you can use that you don’t need to iron for tea towels. I assume you don’t put them in the dryer.
No, I don't use a dryer, I dry them on the clothesline. I don't iron them either! (Confessions of a lazy homemaker here! 😆) Cottolin is great for not needing ironing after washing.
I am so interested in your weave a long project! But I don’t know if I can be ready in time. Will you begin with warping the loom or do you assume students in this class already have knowledge of how to do that on their own? My loom is not rigid heddle. It is a Leclerc Dorothy which I purchased from an individual and have not had any instruction on how to use. Do you have suggestions on how I might get started if I want to be ready to begin with your weave along? Can I buy 8/2 cotton at a Michaels or Joannes?
The weave along is specifically for the rigid heddle loom, so you may find that you want to get to know your Dorothy a bit better first.
I do have table loom course, if you're interested in that - it would be more relevant to you at this point in getting to know your loom-
kelly-casanova-weaving-lessons.teachable.com/p/table-loom/?preview=logged_out
I'm currently weaving a towel at 8/2 too and the yarn just looks thicker to me. I'm using 7.5 dent header, so the sett is automatically wider. Should I use a 10 dent and still 8/2? Because it's definitely not the tightly woven thinner yarn type towels.
8/2 usually needs to be woven at 20 epi or higher for towels. 20-25 is usually ideal. That would mean using a 10 or 12-12.5 dent heddle with doubled 8/2.
Where do you find de Espresso cotton? I looked for on web and I didn't find. Thank you.
Espresso cotton? I'm not familiar with it?
Thank you for your reply. At 4:17 minutes you spoke about a canadien company thread and I'm really interesting To know about it.
@@suzannejolin252 The company is Maurice Brassard. You can purchase their yarns either directly from Canada, or they have a lot of stockists in the US.
@@KellyCasanova Thank you, I live in Québec so I know Maurice Brassard. Have à good summer.
Wool absorbs approximately 30% of its weight. It's very absorbent. That doesn't mean it is the best fiber for towels, but it's not the reason we don't weave it to make them.
one question though re: the 8/2 cotton for kitchen towels. Can you use a clothes dryer when the sunshine is not cooperating?
Yes, many weavers do that Kathleen, I never have because I don't have a dryer.
@@KellyCasanova thank you for the answer. I am impressed that you can get the sheets, towels, etc, dry without a dryer! I don't put most of my garments in the dryer as the dryer does a lot of damage. I use drying racks for garments.
Thank you for the video. I’m interested in your weave along session and trying to get the important supply. I ordered your instructions on Etsy, also two 12,5 reeds, but still looking for a good yarn source.. My local shop has cottotin in 8/2 or cotton in 8/4. Can I use 12,5 reeds for 8/4 ? Thank you
Yes, you can Marikah, and I provide instructions for adapting the pattern to 8/4 cotton inside the weave along 😊
With 8/4 cotton waffle weave after washing the towel is so wrinkled. I can iron it but I won’t want to iron them every time nor would I give them away. What happened?
That is probably the weave structure more than the yarn. Waffle weave shrinks up so much, so I guess that could cause the wrinkling?
@@KellyCasanova I wondered if that was the problem. The plain weave parts of the towels were fine. It was the waffle that has the problem. Thank you
Thanks so much for this! Do you have a preference between mercerized and unmercerized cotton for tea towels?
Yes, definitely unmercerised 😉
Question. As a new weaver with a heddle loom, I foolishly broke the bank buying 16/2 mercerized cotton in many colors. I thought I would make dish towels with it but it seems a bit challenging at such a fine thread. Any advice on what to do with all of this thread/yarn? It's quite discouragingly for my skill level.
You could save it for a little while. Get some practice on your loom with some other yarns first. You can use your 16/2 later for towels, scarves etc.
Hi Kelly, what size reed do you recommend for tea towels in 8/2 please?
I like to weave tea towels with 8/2 cotton at 20-25 ends per inch. If you're using a rigid heddle, you could double your yarn in either a 10 or 12-12.5 dent heddle.
What would you use 8/4 cotton for
You can also use 8/4 for kitchen towels. It's a good weight for table runners, mats etc. Some weavers use it when they want an extra strong warp.
@@KellyCasanova thank you
What loom do you use for weaving tea towels?
I use my Louet floor loom mostly, but I've woven a bunch on my Ashford rigid heddle and some on my Ashford table loom too.
What do you use for bath towels?? 5/2
I haven't woven bath towels myself, but yes, you would want something thicker than 8/2.
Or would 8/4 be better than 5/2.
I can't find any of the links you mentioned in your video, am I not looking in the right place?
If you look below the video, there is a long list of links. You may need to click on "show more" to see them all.
Do you warp the loom with 8/2 cotton ?
Yes, I use 8/2 cotton for warp and weft very often.
Is design ki dressing Kaise hoti hai jo dikhate ho aap uski drawing karke dikhao aur pattern Banakar dikhao